Menu card holder and guard



Dec. 26, 1961 E. B. AlTKENS 3,014,295

MENU CARD HOLDER AND GUARD Filed June 2, 1960 2% 44 I i: 22 I I I, l

EDWFWZD B A/ 77 EN5 INVENTOR.

BY 7%" VM ATTORNEYS 3,014,295 MENU CARD HOLDER AND GUARD Edward B. Aitkens, 680 S. Carondolet St., Los Angeies 57, Calif. Filed June 2, 196% Ser. No. 33,501 Claims. (Ci. 40-11) This invention has to do with devices for holding menu cards or folders on restaurant counters and tables.

The application is a continuation-in-part of my pend-- ing application on Menu Holder, Serial No. 460,954, filed October 7, 1954, now Patent No. 2,939,660, issued June 7, 1960.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device of simple construction which can be readily used by customers and waiters or waitresses for receiving and supporting menu cards, folders and the like in upright position. More particularly it is an object to provide a novel device of the type indicated which inherently stiffens or imparts rigidity to the menu card or other item inserted in it in a direction to cause the same to stand upright without being subject to bending over either forward or backward.

A further object is to provide a device for holding menu cards or the like in which the cards can be easily inserted and removed and, while held, are guarded against being accidentally dislodged.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which provides means for acting as a fence or guard for objects on a table or counter and which also serves as a holder for a towel or the like.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a device embodying the invention shown mounted on a counter, the latter being fragmentarily shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of what is shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of. FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification.

In my prior above-referred to patent application I utilize the principle of so designing the menu card holder that, as a menu card or the like is inserted therein, the card is caused to be bent somewhat about a vertical axis to thereby stiffen the card and enable it to readily stand upright even though it may be thin and flimsy. In the present application I provide a somewhat different but novel means utilizing this same principle as well as other novel structural features designed to carry out the objects mentioned hereinabove.

More particularly describing the invention, numeral 11 designates a restaurant counter or the like having an upper surface 12, and numeral 15 designates a device embodying the invention which is shown mounted at the rear edge portion of the counter.

The device 15 includes a rear wall means designated generally 16 and a front wall means designated generally 17, spaced forwardly thereof to provide a space for one or more menu cards or the like to be inserted between the two wall means. The front wall means 17 is comprised of an elongated guard member 18 which is generally fiat or in a single plane throughout the major portion of its length but which has forwardly curved end portions 18 at each end. Member 18 acts as a wall to retain articles such as sugar, salt and pepper containers upon the upper surface of the counter. Spaced above member 18 is a somewhat shorter wall member 20 which ice lies directly above member 18. The parts 18 and 20 are mounted on a pair of upright posts designated 22 which are spaced rather widely apart. The posts 22 are shown positioned forwardly or in front of member 20 and behind member 18. These parts may all be made of sheet metal and secured together by any conventional means, although I prefer that they be welded together as by spot welds (not shown). The lower end portions of posts 22 are each stepped to provide a rearwardly offset lower end portion 24 which is adapted to be positioned against the rear edge 25 of a counter 11. The step or horizontal portion 26 rests directly upon the upper surface 12 of the counter.

The rear wall means includes a horizontal strip member designated 30 which is preferably somewhat higher than member 18 and which is supported on a pair of posts 31 located directly behind posts 22. Posts 31 have a small step 32, and below this, offset lower end portions 33 which lie against and are secured to the lower ends of posts 22. The lower end sections of the posts are preferably apertured to receive mounting screws 34 by means of which the device is mounted on the counter.

The forwardly curved end portions of the front wall member 18 are connected by a rod 36 having a straight central portion 37 located rearwardly of the rear wall means 16. The rod also has two forwardly projecting horizontal portions 38 and beyond these, upturned or vertical portions 39. The latter are received in the ends of member 18, the latter having reversely bent end portions 40 for this purpose. The curved end portions 18 of members 18 are thus stiffened against undue individual flexing.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of means for causing a menu card or other sheet material, when inserted between the front rear wall means, to be bent slightly about a vertical axis so as to lend rigidity thereto. In the form of the invention illustrated this means comprises a centrally disposed upright tongue member 42 which is secured to the outside of member 20 and to the inside of member 18. This tongue depends below member 18 and in this region has a rearwardly inclined lower end portion 44. Preferably the tongue terminates short of the stepped portions of the posts and extends rearwardly at least to the plane of the rear wall means. With this construction when a paper or menu card is inserted in the space between the front and rear wall means the paper or card is cammed rearwardly by the tongue to cause it to curve somewhat. The tongue is to some extent adjustable since it can be bent to a desired angle. The bar 36, since its end portions 38 extend forwardly beyond an inserted card, serves to tend to prevent a card being accidentally diSlOdged.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims. By way of example, if desired the rod 36 can beeliminated and its place taken by a rod or strap extending from each rear post to the adjacent end of the member 18. Thus in FIG. 6 I show such a strap, designated 50, attached to rear post 31A and to the end of member 18A. The same construction would be employed at the other end of the device.

I claim:

1. In a menu card holding device or the like, a front wall means, a rear wall means spaced from said front wall means to provide a menu card receiving space, said front wall means including an elongated fiat guard member extending horizontally and terminating in forwardly curved end portions, and a bar attached at its ends of said guard membensaid bar extending rearwardly from the ends of said guard member and across in back of said rear wall means.

2. In a menu card holding device, a front wall means including a pair of upright posts connected by at least one horizontal member, a rear wall means spaced rearwardly of said front wall means and including a pair of upright posts connected by at least one horizontal member, said posts of said front and rear wall means being constructed and arranged for attachment to the edge of a counter or the like, and a rearwardly inclined tongue carried by said front wall means extending downwardly and rearwardly from the front Wall means to the region of the rear wall means, said tongue being located between said posts whereby a menu card or sheet inserted between the front and rear wall means is cammed rearwardly, at its lower edge to curve the same about a vertical axis and thereby stiffen the same against bending.

3. A menu card holding device or the like as set forth in claim 2 in which said front wall means includes an elongated flat guard member extending horizontally and terminating in forwardly curved end portions and includes a bar attached at its ends to said guard member and extending in back of said rear wall means.

4. In a menu card holding device or the like, a front wall means, a rear wall means spaced from said front wall means to provide a menu card-receiving space, said front wall means including an elongated flat guard member extending horizontally and terminating in forwardly curved end portions, and a pair of reinforcing members, said reinforcing members each being connected at one end to an end portion of said guard member and at its other end to the rear wall means.

5. In a menu card holding device, a front 'wall means including a pair of laterally spaced upright posts having rearwardly offset lower end portions for attachment to a counter or the like and an upper cross member secured to said posts, a rear wall means including a pair of rear posts located behind said aforementioned posts and connected thereto at their lower end portions and a cross member connecting the upper ends of said posts of the rear wall means, said last mentioned cross member being higher than said first mentioned cross member, a guard member extending horizontally across said posts of said front wall means and terminating in forwardly curved end portions, means reinforcing said end portions of said guard member, and a tongue mounted centrally of the cross member of said front wall means and said guard member and depending below said guard member, said tongue having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined lower end portion below said guard member whereby a menu card or sheet inserted between the front and rear wall means is cammed rearwardly at its lower edge to curve the same about a vertical axis and thereby stiffen the same against bending.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 14,279 Back Apr. 3, 1917 1,983,187 Oswell Dec. 4, 1934 2,183,805 Bloomfield Dec. 19, 1939 2,818,318 Johnson Dec. 31, 1957 2,939,660 Aitkens June 7, 1960 

